


In the house of the inventor

by Just_another_cog_in_the_machine



Series: Steampunk AU [2]
Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Steampunk, Gen, Steampunk
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-16
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-25 05:21:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,845
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30084096
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Just_another_cog_in_the_machine/pseuds/Just_another_cog_in_the_machine
Summary: Just a simple story about stubbornness and curiosity
Relationships: Digi-Jack(s) & Timothy Lawrence
Series: Steampunk AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2213532
Kudos: 5





	In the house of the inventor

**Author's Note:**

  * A translation of [In the house of the inventor](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/777651) by Ризотка Дурачок (me but russian). 



> Another stupid story from my steampunk au
> 
> (Btw once again gotta thank Lem for saving my dumb russian ass)

“Wha-” Before Lawrence even questions the automatons about his missing goggles, he hears a creaking noise, which is followed by louder steps that indicate one of dumbass machines running away from their creator. The second one is here - sitting on one of the desks, watching Tim with a curious and annoyingly innocent look on its metal face. It’s hard for Timothy to keep both of them in his eyesight, but it’s the only way to prevent destruction, so, grabbing the nearest automaton by its metal wrist, the mechanic drags it out of the room after himself, ignoring the confused sound it makes while trying not to fall. “Help me to catch your hyperactive twin, I have no idea how but I know that you can sense where this asshole is and where he wants to go. A-and stop destroying my documents! When did you even...” Tim tears the piece of paper out of the automaton's teeth, getting an upset whir in response, and gets back to seeking for the second machine.

The automaton, who doesn't have a name or even a number yet, at least has a mind, but its inner workings are an enigma, which led to it stealing a weird shiny thing their creator always is wearing while doing things. Important things? Maybe with it, the automaton could do something important and their creator stops scolding them? Important things stopped the scolding of that mysterious person from the memories they inherited from their creator. This automaton can’t understand the reason why their creator is unhappy. Can humans even be happy? They never really met any, only Timothy. The world is too weird, especially when you are a 9-day old machine with a face of some asshole. Oh, wait, what is an asshole even? 

The sound of steps interrupts a flow of thoughts in the machine's mind, making it shudder and look at whoever is walking through the kitchen. It’s hiding under the table, not actually knowing what a table is, it knows just the fact that it’s a good hiding spot. 

“Cmon, where’s your twin?” 

Before there could be any hint said, the hiding automaton ran out of its hideout, hitting the table with its head, and jumped out of the open window, of course smashing whatever was on the kitchen counters. Timothy had to put a hand in front of the other one so it won't follow the runaway and sighed, annoyed, not even wanting to think about how many more months he has to waste with these dork mechanisms. “I can’t wait to get rid of you two” he thinks. 

“No no no no no-” the thoughts of the machine said, as it ran outside with a hiss, seeking for another place to hide, holding “the shiny thingy” with its mouth. The roof seemed like a good place. (What is a roof?) Just another old memory, not its own but inherited knowledge from the creator, told it that he can’t follow it to high places. “How can someone already so scary be afraid of something else?” - the automaton wonders. “Creator is making such terrifying noises, is there something more terrifying in the world?” Halfway up to the top of the roof, the machine turns its head to look at the fence. They have never seen what’s on the other side, but their fear to go far from their creator is suppressing their curiosity. Creator = safety. There must be a reason he won't let them follow him when he leaves… Oh, how they hate these moments. 

“GET THE FUCK DOWN YOU IDIOT!” Oh. At least, now he doesn't seem to leave them all alone, even though he’s mad again… Hissing, the automaton climbed a bit higher, putting the goggles - Oh, so those are goggles! - on its head, just like their creator always did. And smart people in books also seemed to have these… “Am I smart now?” The automaton thought. But then, as if the universe itself wanted to disagree with this statement, a small roof tile broke under one of the automaton’s arms, so it lost its balance and fell down. On the opposite side of the house, to Timothy’s disappointment! Loud angry yells were heard when the automatonic being reached the ground, it obviously was angry, but not at itself unfortunately - it hissed and growled at the tile piece which led to its fall, and even hit its head. 

So busy with psychological violence against that tile, it didn’t notice Timothy behind it, ready to snatch the goggles away, until a small stick gave him out when it creaked under his boot. “OW!” Quickly pulling away his hand, Tim exclaimed indignantly: “What the hell was that!? Even Jack didn’t bite, you asshole!” Rubbing his hurt hand, he thought about how worse the wound could be if the machine actually knew its own power. Somehow, even though constructed to be used in combat, both of the Tech-Jacks were sure that they are weak and vulnerable, well, at least weaker than Tim. But he knew that they are not, and these jaws could actually crush his goddamn bones! 

“Cmon, give my goggles back, it’s not even funny anymore!” And again, a freakin’ hiss as a response, to which the second automaton started making little worried noises, as if trying to calm its brother down. The "thief", who was still sitting on the grass, moved back a little, drawing its knees closer to itself, and clutching the goggles to its chest. A slight sign of fear was noticeable in its glowing eyes as it furrowed its brows. “Why do you need them even?” Timothy asked, even though the unfinished machine couldn’t answer. Or it actually could, but only with whirs and growls. The noises it made now were actually close to speech, or at least an analog of it, none of its previous feral screeches. “I’m sorry but I can't understand you. And I won't be able to if you don’t give me my working goggles back, so I could finish your goddamn voice modules.” The automaton looks somewhere to the side and lets out an annoyed huff, a small cloud of steam escapes its lips. Some growl, sounding like “Fine.”, and the machine stands up. Tim holds a hand in front of it, expecting to get his goggles back, but… It just walked past him?

He pulled the other idiot along with him, taking it by the collar of its poncho, which ruined its attempts to eat a butterfly, and followed the one wearing his goggles. “Hey! I thought you would give ‘em back!” The automaton ignored him. “I’m disappointed, but not surprised… Come on!” Trying to grab the goggles, Tim failed, but noticed that his creation stopped showing any aggression. The second one made some noise, as if suggesting something. Maybe to just follow its twin? So he did, and surprisingly, when they walked into the workshop, it took off Tim’s goggles, putting them on his desk. After that it just sat on the floor next to its creator’s workplace, crossing its arms on its chest and looking away.

“What a drama queen… And Jack wanted me to teach you two how to be him. But before teaching you how to be Jack, you, moron, should learn how to be human at least!” Ignoring its growls, Lawrence got back to work.

***

Fear is one of the first emotions they had to experience, and it follows them most of their ridiculously short lives - out of nine days they already are alive, they probably spent five of them scared or terrified by the big world they are in. Poor beings have no idea how big it is, and what real terror is - that there is just more pain and monsters behind the fence, but also more adventures and wonderful stories that await them.

For now, one of them, who already showed its naughty personality, has to face its fears to achieve the goal of getting these cool goggles back. What’s so difficult about it, you might ask? Well… It’s nighttime, and we sure know that most of the living things fear darkness for the first days of their existence, which seems to apply to the Tech-Jacks too. But even the darkness of their creator’s workshop isn't the true reason why they are huddled in the corner, it’s the noises he makes. “Why is he growling?” they wonder. “Is he mad at us? Is he trying to scare off something that hides in the darkness?” 

At first, they were just scared that when Timothy sleeps, he is dead. Or broken..? “Is he broken now?” They hear these terrifying noises for just two nights now. And nobody told them that those are just snores! Lawrence was too tired, so he just decided to sleep on that pile of blankets he has on the floor of his workshop. Better than falling asleep halfway to the bedroom. 

Suddenly, the noises, defined by them as growling, stopped. Sitting in silence for a while, making sure, the naughty automaton got back to what it failed to achieve yesterday. 

Metal fingers carefully touched the belt of the goggles, tugging it away, but seems like it also moved Timothy’s head. Automaton let go and jumped away in fear as Tim started snoring again, rapidly returning to the second machine, still huddled in their hiding spot. The goggles gave Tim’s forehead a good whack when the automaton let go of them, so with some confused curses, he woke up. “What the-” 

He sat up and looked at the two scared machines. “And why are you hiding here again… Hey! You tried to steal my goggles again, you-” Lawrence stopped his scolding, seeing how they tried to hide even more, trying to look smaller. “Huh.” He turned back and went to his desk, turning on the lamp that stood here, and started looking for something among the mess he had over here.

The automatons who curiously watched him flinched back when Tim turned to them, and one even closed its eyes expecting to be hit with something. But instead, it heard its creator saying “Here.” in a soft, but tired voice. It opened its eyes to see… Goggles. But not the ones Timothy wore, these ones seemed to be older and had a broken lens. And yet, they looked even more charming to the automaton who snatched them out of Tim’s hands, examining them, paying a lot attention to the green-colored belt, and exchanging a few excited, happy noises with its brother. They seemed to start something like a conversation. A realization hit him - In all these 9 days, Timothy never saw this stroppy one smile, but now it did, happy with such a small and simple thing, even though it’s broken. “I hope now you will stop trying to steal mine.” Yawning, the mechanic moved to the door. “I guess I’ll go sleep upstairs. I’ll leave the light for you, ok?”  
The automatons nodded, and their creator left the room, trying to hide a stupid smile at how ridiculous their behaviour is.


End file.
